Air-brake valve.



No. 708,092. Patented Sept. 2, |902. F. STRAT-TNER.

AIB BRAKE V'ALVE.

(Application led Oct. 15, 1901.)

(lo Model.)

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. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK STRATTNER, SALISBURY, MARYLAND.

AIR-BRAKE VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '708,92, datedSeptember '2, 1.902.

Application filed October l5, 1901. Serial No. 78,742. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t mfc/y concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK STRATTNER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Salisbury, in the county of Wicomico and State Vof Maryland,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Brake Valves;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain improvements generally in air-brakes,more especially valve mechanism therefor. It greatly reduces friction,needs no lubrication, and requires very little cleaning or attention. Itis interchangeable with Vvalve mechanism in present use and is directacting, aswll presently be explained.

It consists of 'the combination, arrangement, and construction of parts,substantially as hereinafter more fully disclosed, and speciflcallypointedV out by the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the preferred embodiment' ofmy invention, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, and Fig. 2 is a planview thereof.`

It will be understood that I do not restrict myself to details, as theymay be changed or varied at will withoutY departing from the spirit ofmy invention and the same remain intact and yet be protected.

In carrying out my invention I provide a suitable supply or feed valve1, having lat-` eral vertical air passages or ports 1a and incased orhoused within a casing 2, suitably Secured upon the car or engine of atrain, said valve-casing having applied to its removable bottom or head2a a drain-cock 3. Said valve is held against axial motion or turning bymeans of springs 4, secured thereto and bearing against the inner sideof an annulus or collar 5, screwed into the upper or greater diameteredportion of the casing 2. To this annulus or collar is connected orcoupled the air-supply pipe. (Not shown.) Said valve has at a suitablepoint below the collar or annulus 5 a lateral, preferably stepped,extension or enlargement 1b, also having lateral vertical air passagesor ports 1c therethrough. Said lateral extension is adapted'at its uppersurface to engage or contact with a preferably narrowed or taperedpendent portion of the collar or annulus 5, forming a seat 6 for saidvalve at said point, as at 6a, as the valve moves upwardly,ashereinafter more fully appreciated. Said valve also has anintermediate circular doWnWard-facing offset o1' extension 7, adaptedwhen the valve is in itsl lowered position or when air-pressure isadmitted at 6 to engage or contact with an upward-facing seat S, formedof a shoulder on the upper surfaceof an inward circular extension orportion 9 of the casing 2, to cut off the passage of air-pressure belowthat point at that time. At a point still farther down said valve isprovided or equipped, preferably, with an annulus or ring 10, suitablyheld or clamped against a shoulder 10 of the valve 1 by'V locking nuts11, screwed upon a reduced screw-threaded portion 12 of said valveupagainstsaid ring. This ring or annulus is adapted to engage or contactwith a second downward-facing seat 13, also formed of a shoulder on thelower surface of the extension 9 of the casing 1, but which ring orannulus is out of engagement with said seat when the opposite is true ofthe seat 8 and extension or offset 7. Said valve has also additionallateral vertical air passages or ports 14 intermediately of the offsetor extension 7'v andthe ring or annulus 10 to effect communicationbetween different portions of the casing-chamber forthe passage of theairpressure to the bottom of said casing-chamber, as.will be more fullydisclosed later on; also, said valve has arranged within atransverfse'passage in itself a su pplemental or compensating Valve 15,suitably seated at two ends in the end of said passage and having itsstem skeleton-like in cross-section to provide for the passage of theAair-pressure therebetween and the Wall of said passage from the upperlateral ports of the primary valve l; also, extending about centrallyclear through said primary or supply valve is an air-passage 16,intercepting or communicating with the supplemental-valve passage, asshown, and With the top and bottom portion of the casing-chamber. Thebottom or removable head 2a of the casing2 has preferably a depressionor recess 16 in'its upper surface to receive the stepped lower endportion 17 of the valve 1, and said depression has around its edge anelevation or raised ledge 18, engaging the shoulder of said steppedportion of said valve, as at 18a. Said stepped lower portion of thevalve is of less diameter than said depression or recess to IOO providefor-the passage therebetween of airpressure from the central passage 16and from one side ofsaid valve to the opposite side thereot' for apurpose presently made apparent.

A second supplemental or compensating valve 19 of like construction asvalve 15 is also provided, but is arranged vertically or at right anglesto the last named and at one side of and a short distance below thesame, said second supplemental valve being disposed in a verticalpassage produced in the inwardly-extending portion 9 of the valvecasing2 and seating in the upper end of said passage. The lower end of saidpassage opens into the bottom chamberot` said valve-casing andcommunicates with the central passage 16 via the passsage formed betweenthe lower end stepped portion of the primary valve and the depression 16in the bottom or removable head 2^L of said casing.

Two cylinders 20 21 are connected to the valve-casing 2 by pipes 22 23,respectively. Pipe 22 communicates with the primary-valvecontainingchamber through a port or passage 24, and the pipe 23 communicates withsaid chamber by means of a passage or port 25, one, however, with saidchamber internlediately of the valve-seats 8 and 13 and the othertherewith intermediately of the valveseats 6 and 8, as shown. The piston20 of the cylinder 20 has its rod 20b extended through a sleeve orcasing 20C, whose ends are integral with opposite heads of the twocylinders 2O 21. Said rod also has fixed thereto at its end distant fromthe piston 20a a second piston 20, housed within a supplemental cylinder20C, having one end screwed to a head of and arranged within thecylinder 2l, the opposite end ofsaid supplemental cylinder opening intothe last named, supplying it with ai r-pressure. The proportionalpressure areas of the pistons of these two cylinders are in the ratio ofthe square of the diameter of one piston to the square of the diameterof the second piston. The et'tective brake-applying pressure, therefore,is equal to the excess of pressure on the pressure area of the piston 20over that on the pressure area of the piston 20D. The brake-lever 25,suitably fulcrumed in position, is connected at one end to the Apistonand actuated thereby.

In operation the air-pressure, being applied through the air-supply pipeabove referred to, passes through central passage 16 of the primaryvalve 1, thence into the passage of the supplemental or compensatingvalve 15, opening or unseating said last-referred-to valve. Saidairpressure then enters the valve containing chamber and, passingthrough the port 25, enters and passes through the pipe 23, finallyentering and filling the storage-cylinder 21, said air-pressure actingupon the piston 2Od and driving it, and consequently the piston 20, thelast named being moved clear up to the distant head of its cylinder, thebrake being in its released position. The piston 20d is thus continuallykept under air-pressure charged into its coutaining-cylinder 21, thusretaining or holding the brake unapplied or released. In applying thebrake air-pressure is withdrawn from the train-pipe by the operator onthe engine or car suitably manipulating the air-exhausting valve. 'lhepressure on valve 1 will be instantly reduced,V permitting it to riseand seat at 6 6a and 10 13, cutting olf the passage of air-pressure atthose points and unseat at 7 8, consequently opening up communicationwith the casing-chamber via the ports 14:. Air-pressure now passes fromthe storage or brake-releasing cylinder` 21 through the pipe 23 and port25 into the valve-containing chamber and thence through the port 24 andpipe 22, it finally entering the cylinder 20 and acting upon and drivingthe piston 20, thus setting or applying the brake, after whichairpressure is exhausted in releasing the brake from the brake-cylinderto the atmosphere, as presently seen. In order to release the brake, theoperator by suitably manipulating the air-supply applies pressure to thevalve 1, moving or forcing said valve downwardly, eecting the seating ofsaid valve at 7 Sand 18 18L and nnseating it at 10 13. The air-pressurewill now be exhausted from the cylinder 2O via the pipe 22, port 24,ports 14, and an outlet-passage 26, the last named being produced in thevalve-casing 2 and communicating with the external air or atmosphere.The valve 1 being now unseated at 6 6L permits the recharging of thestoragecylinder 2O and the pistons 20l and 20d to be forced into theposition required to release the brake.

A veryimportant feature of this invention consists in the use of twocompensating valves, as above noted, whereby the air-pressure isdelivered directly to the storage-cylinder via the port 25 when thebrake is being applied. In this connection it is observed that as theair-pressure in the storage-chamber 21 is being drawn upon or exhaustedby the demand thereon in supplying the brake-chamber 20 said drain orexhaustion is compensated by the passage through the port 16 of thevalve 1 of air-pressure. Said air-pressure passes via thecompensatingvalve 15 into the chamber containing the valve 1, as abovestated, and via the opening 18 18, the air-pressure from the last-namedpassing upwardly and opening the second compensating Valve 19, and thewhole air-pressure finally passing through the port 25 to thestorage-cylinder 21. Thus the air-pressure is delivered directly fromthe train-pipe to the storage-cylinder. Also direct pressure is in likemanner exerted through the port 24 upon the piston 20a in applying thebrake. Also by this arrangement the storage-cylinder 21 is constantlysupplied with air-pressure Whether the brake be applied or released.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

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l. In air-brake apparatus, an air-cylinder and its piston for applyingthe brake, an air storage cylinder and its piston arranged lforsimultaneous coaction with the firstreferredto piston, for Vreleasingthe brake, and aire pressure valve mechanism operatively connected tothe train-pipe and 'to said cylinders, comprisinga primary valve and anautomatic supplemental valve carried by, and independently operative of,said primary valve, substantially as set forth.

2. In air-brake apparatus, an air-cylinder and its piston for applyingthe brake, an airstorage cylinder and its piston havin'garelatively-reduced area or diameter and arranged for simultaneouscoaction with the aforesaid piston, for releasing the brake, andair-pressure valve mechanism operatively connected to the train-pipe andto said cylinders, cornprising a primary valve and an automaticsupplemental valve carried by, and independently operative of, saidprimary valve, su`ostantially as set forth.

3. In air-brake apparatus, an air-cylinder and its piston forapplyingthe brake, an airstorage cylinder and its piston arranged forsimultaneous operation with the aforesaid piston for releasing thebrake, and an airpressure valve mechanism operativelyconnected with saidcylinders comprising a primary valve and an automatic supplemental valvecarried by, and independently operative of, said primary valve, saidprimary valve having a port or passage therethrough intersected by saidsupplemental valve, substantially as set forth.

1t. In air-brake apparatus, an air-cylinder and itspiston for applyingthe brake, an airstorage cylinder and its piston arranged forsimultaneous operation with the first-named piston, for releasing thebrake, air-pressure valve mechanism, comprising a primary valve and anautomatic supplemental valve carried by, and independently operative of,said primary valve, and adapted to be seated at each end, said primaryvalve having a port or passage therethrough intersected by saidsupplemental valve, pipe connection with said cylinders, and meansestablishing communication between said pipe connection and the ports ofsaid primary and supplemental valves, substantially as set forth.

5. In air-brake apparatus, an air-cylinder and its piston, for applyingthe brake, an airstorage cylinder and its piston for releasing thebrakes, an air-pressure valve mechanism, means for effecting operativeconnection between said cylinders and valve mechanism, comprising aprimary valve and an automatic supplemental valve carried by, andindependently operative of, said primary valve, said piston having acommon rod connection, substantially as set forth.

6. In air-brake apparatus, an air-cylinde and its piston, for applyingthebrake, an airstorage cylinder and its piston for releasing the brake,an air-pressure valve mechanism means for effecting operative connectionhetween-fsaid cylinder and valve mechanism, comprising a primary'valveand an automatic supplemental valve carried by, and independentlyoperative of, said primary,l valve, said pistons being of differentdiameters and having a common rod connection, substantially as setforth.

7. In air-brake apparatus, an air-cylinder and its piston, for applyingthe brake, an airstorage cylinder and its piston, an air-pressure valvemechanism, means for effecting operative connection between saidcylinders and valve mechanism, said valve mechanism having its valveproper supplied withsupplemental or compensating valve acting inconjunction with a central port or passage of said valve proper and asecond compensating valve ,also cooperating with said valve proper, saidcompensating valves effecting the direct sup- Aply of air-pressure tosaid brake-cylinder, and

one effecting a passage between the bottom outlet of said centralvalve-port and said storage-cylinder, substantially as set forth.

8. In apparatus of the character described, a brake-applying cylinderand its piston, a brake-releasing cylinder and its piston, airpressurevalve mechanism, means effecting operative connection between saidcylinders and valve mechanism', said valve mechanism comprising acentrally-ported valve, having a plurality of lateral contactingsurfaces with its casing and two supplemental or compensating valvesarranged for conjoint operation and in communication with ports in saidcasing and with said cylinders, substantially as set forth. v

9. In air-brake apparatus,a brake-applying cylinder and its piston, anairlpressure-storage cylinder and its piston, a valvemechanism, andmeans for effecting operative connection between said cylinders and saidvalve mechanism, said mechanism comprising a casing having an inwardcircular extension, a collar provided with a circular pendentprojection, and a bottom portion having, around I a depression or recesstherein, a shoulder, said inward extension having projections upon itsupper and lower surfaces, a centrallyported valve, having lateralvertical ports and corresponding salient portions with those of saidcasing, above noted, adapted to contact with, or engage the same, twosupple-- mental or compensating valves, one adapted to be seated in thefirst-named valve and the other in said casing, said casing also havingports connecting with said cylinders and lateral ports of thefirst-referred-to valve, and` an air-exhausting port, substantially asset forth.

In testimony whereof I ax my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK STRATTNER.

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